


Party at Doom Lagoon

by FleetSparrow



Series: Drawlloween 2018 [16]
Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-16
Updated: 2018-10-16
Packaged: 2019-08-03 08:37:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16322879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FleetSparrow/pseuds/FleetSparrow
Summary: Dick's taking the family out for a lagoon holiday.  And there might be a monster involved.  But that's fine, there's no such thing as monsters, right?





	Party at Doom Lagoon

“This is gonna be off the hook!”

“Who even still says that?” Jason asked, carrying a stack of chairs down to the lake.

“I do,” Dick said, wrapping an arm around Jason’s neck, and, subsequently, pulling Jason off-balance. “We’re here to make like it’s a normal party time at the lake.”

“There’d be more girls here,” Jason said.

Dick swung them around to look at Cass and Stephanie, who were both in bathing suits. “Plenty of girls for what we need.”

“I can’t hit on them! They’re like sisters,” Jason grumbled. “You’re so weird, Dick.”

“Look, do you wanna catch the monster at Doom Lagoon or not?”

Jason rolled his eyes. “Aren’t you a little old for a teen beach shin-dig?”

“I’m your chaperone,” Dick said. He laughed and let go of Jason, running ahead to set up their little campsite.

Soon, there was a small fire going in the fire pit, chairs stacked around it, music on the radio, and a nice little dance party going, courtesy of Dick. The girls dragged Tim and Jason into the lake while Dick watched on the shore. Dick eventually joined them, and the five of them were in the water when the warning came over the radio that the Doom Lagoon monster had been spotted in the area. By the time they got back and dried off, the radio had switched to love songs.

“Nothing like a nice relaxing day by a creepy lagoon,” Dick said, roasting a hot dog over the fire.

“What’s so creepy about it?” Stephanie asked, burning a marshmallow until it erupted in flames.

“Haven’t you heard the story of the monster?” Jason asked. “That’s all Dick’s been talking about for the past week.”

“School is keeping me busy,” she said, letting her molten marshmallow melt into the fire. “So what’s the story?”

“They say it’s a man-sized creature who lurks in the dark, preying on unsuspecting teens in the night.”

“So, that’s why we got a day at the lake?” Tim asked. “I knew there was something more to it.”

“Shh, Tim, I’m telling a story,” Dick said, waving away his concern. “It all started with the old Apex factory. It’s said, the monster was created out of their toxic dumpings and now roams the surface, looking for human flesh.”

Cass sat up in her seat, pulling her blanket around her tighter. “So what do we do if we see it?”

“We catch it.”

“I could just shoot it,” Jason said. Four pairs of eyes glared at him. “All right, it was just a suggestion.”

“They say it’s been here since the fifties, haunting the lagoon.”

“Wait, so now it’s a ghost monster?” Jason interrupted. “Come on!”

“I didn’t say that, it’s just an old monster,” Dick said. “Anyway, it’s getting dark. It should be coming out any time now.”

“It better. I’m getting eaten up,” Tim said, swatting away a mosquito.

There was a rustling in the trees behind them, and they all turned towards it. It grew louder and closer with each step. Out popped a creature who looked like somebody had taken their child’s drawing of a monster and given it features. It had big bug eyes and multiple tongues sticking out of its mouth. It looked…well, goofy.

It roared at them and they hopped out of their chairs.

“Ramble and scramble, investigators!” Dick shouted. They all ran in different directions, confusing the monster. It came out and knocked over a few chairs, then went chasing Cass into the forest.

It was fast and ran at her with a strength it didn’t look like it should have. Cass pivoted and turned in a roundhouse kick to the head, which sent the monster flailing into the trees.

“I got him!” she yelled into the darkness. She went over to see her work and the monster reared up at her, only without its head.

“Ew,” she said.

It beat at her with its claws until finally a human head popped up over the neck. “You’re supposed to be running in terror!”

She looked down at him. “No.”

He sighed and picked up the monster’s head. “I guess I should’ve known I couldn’t get away with it. But you see, there’s a rare species of bird here and thanks to the pollution from the old Apex factory, they’re growing with unique colors in their feathers. I was afraid if people found out, they’d start stealing them.” He looked at her squarely in the eye. “Bird poaching is no joke, young lady.”

“No,” she said, shaking her head solemnly.

“You said it! Well, that’s why I’ve been dressing up. I just took the old legend and used it for myself.”

“How long?”

“About three years now.”

Cass frowned. There’d been sightings since the fifties, Dick said. “Who was before you?”

“No one, as far as I know. Just the legend of the creature.”

“Don’t do it anymore,” she said.

“I…I won’t, miss. That’s a promise.”

“Good.” She helped him up and led him back to the campsite.

“It’s OK, everyone! I found him.”

There was only silence.

“Guys?”

At that moment, Tim came crashing through the trees. “His head wouldn’t come off. Cass, his head wouldn’t come _off_!”

“What are you talking about?” she asked.

A moment later, Stephanie and Jason ran out. “Get the chairs, get the radio, and get in the car. You know what? Leave the chairs. He can have the chairs!”

Cass and the man just stared at the others as they packed things up and ran up the hill. Dick came out from the trees a minute later. “Cass! You caught him. Good job.”

He walked up to the man. “Sir, if you’ll come with me. Cass, we’re going.”

“Who’s head wouldn’t come off?” she asked, as they all walked back to the car.

“Oh, just the monster’s,” Dick said, casually.

Cass shared a look with the man beside her.

“I knew something funny was going on down there,” he said. “I just knew it.”

**Author's Note:**

> Please check out The Horror of Party Beach for the beautiful monster design. You'll thank me.


End file.
